COVID-19 epidemic in the US-A gateway to screen for tuberculosis, HIV, viral hepatitides, Chagas disease, and other neglected tropical diseases among Hispanics

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) racial and ethnic analyses have shown rates of COVID-19–associated hospitalizations—per 100,000 people—are 1.8, 1.7, and 1.4 -fold higher among Native Americans, African Americans/Blacks, and Hispanics, respectively, compared to non-Hispanic Caucasians, despite widespread underreporting [3]. According to the CDC, Hispanics accounted for 26% of new HIV infections in 2017, an increase from 20% in 2009, despite representing only 16.7% of the US population. Around 300,000 people or more live with Chagas disease in the US. Since the infection is only endemic in Latin America, Hispanic/Latin immigrants or descendants from infected Hispanic mothers are at risk of infection. [...]European models have shown that screening for Chagas disease among asymptomatic Latin Americans living in Europe is cost-effective [15,16].